Deadpan
Deadpan '''comedy, otherwise referred to as '''dry comedy, is a style of comic delivery in which jokes are presented with a lack of facial, verbal and physical emotion. Deadpan comedians often couple this delivery with darker jokes, in order to create the appearance of a completely serious and cynical character onstage. Deriving from the words "dead", in reference to the serious nature of the comedic style, and "pan" as the slang word for face during the 19th century due to the face's shallow and broad nature. "Dead face" refers to the lack of facial movements during the comical performance. People are prone to think jokes are more funny when the person telling the joke has a straight face because this causes people to make the jokes whatever they would like them to be. People today, use deadpan in normal conversations. This technique is very sneaky but it works. Most of the time, the tone of a deadpan comedian is very monotone. Deadpan in a way is open sarcasm. In most scenarios, it deals mostly with blunt conversation between two people. That fact that it is so simple and to the point is what makes it work. Actors/comedians don not elaborate or put emphasis on the subject. They just say it bluntly. Comedians use it as a nonchalant conversation when in reality it is quite serious. The excitement with deadpan comes when you expect the character to express themselves differently rather than have a nonchalant attitude. History Despite being heavily present in modern comedy, deadpan traces its origins to the 1920s in the era of silent films. Deadpan afterlife. By: Weddle, David, Sight & Sound, 00374806, Apr2000, Vol. 10, Issue 4 One of the most prominent actors of this time period was Buster Keaton, and is widely considered to be one of the fathers of deadpan. One of his earliest films, Our Hospitality, tells the story of Willie McKay , a man who gets caught in between the Canfield and McKay feud and features an early account of other comedic styles such as satire, slapstick, and Keaton's well known deadpan. IMDB - "Our Hospitality" (1923) Deadpan was also present in literature, most notably in Mark Twain's novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through the protagonist's entirely serious and innocent nature which heightens the humor. Bercovitch, Sacvan. "Deadpan Huck." Kenyon Review 24.3/4 (2002) Television and Film Deadpan comedy is heavily featured in modern television and film, and is often incorporated into plots through the character archetype of the "deadpan snarker" whose designated role in the story is to "point out unlikelihood of certain plans" and generally stand as a counter to the main cast's plans, delivering funny asides. TVTropes - Deadpan Snarker One TV show that is well known for this style of delivery and comedy is Ricky Gervais' The Office but mainly its more widely known subsequent American version of the same show, produced by Greg Daniels. The show's mockumentary format lacks a laugh track and often incorporates dead silence in its episodes, adding on to the effect of characters such as Michael Scott's jokes through the awkward and serious delivery allowing for jokes to fully set in without forced laughter. The Office (U.S. TV series) Another show that incorporates the same method of delivery and comedy through deadpan is another one of Greg Daniels' shows, Parks and Recreation. The shows both share the mockumentary style along with having a deadpan snarker, who in this case is Aubrey Plaza's April Ludgate, and having a lack of music and laugh track in order to set the awkward and serious delivery in. Parks and Recreation Several other examples of films and TV incorporating deadpan include: * Bob's Burgers '' * ''Tim & Eric * Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgendy '' * ''The Monty Python series * The Hangover series * Avatar: The Last Airbender * Scott Pilgrim vs. The World * Saturday Night Live * Friends * South Park * Community * 30 Rock * Family Guy * Arrested Development * Louie Stand-up Comedians Several stand-up comedians also incorporate deadpan delivery into their sets or use it as their defining feature and style. Whereas comedians like Louie C.K. tell certain jokes and stories through deadpan, others such as Dan Mintz and Aubrey Plaza fully embody the deadpan character and incorporate it into their daily lives. Aubrey Plaza. By: Tannenbaum, Rob, Rolling Stone, 0035791X, 8/15/2013, Issue 1189 Several other comedians who employ deadpan in their sets include: * Jim Gaffigan * Christopher Walken * Mitch Hedberg * H. Jon Benjamin * Tracy Morgan * Rowan Atkinson * Judah Friedlander * Sarah Silverman * Bill Murray * Bill Burr * Steve Carell References Category:Television Category:Literature Category:Comedy